1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pen recorder that effects a recording operation according to the movements of a recording sheet and a pen in the X-Y directions, respectively, while selectively using a plurality of pens for different colors, and more particularly, to a pen changeover mechanism that changes over pens by relatively moving two bases in the horizontally direction. The invention also pertaines to an initial position setting method for setting the initial position of the pens when the power source is turned ON.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent various data processing apparatus employ a pen recorder as an output device for drawing characters and figures in multiple color. This pen recorder selectively uses pens for different colors for drawing characters and figures by relatively moving a recording sheet and a selected pen in the X-Y directions.
Hitherto, such a mechanism for selecting one of a plurality of pens is known as having a solenoid mechanism mounted on a movable base which is adapted to press the pens individually. This mechanism, however, causes an increase in size as well as weight of the movable base to make the recorder as a whole larger in size, disadvantageously. Moreover, such a mechanism has recently been spread as having a rotary pen holder mounted on a movable base to select one of a plurality of pens through the rotation of the pen holder. In this mechanism, however, a driving mechanism for changing over the pens is complicated, and it is difficult to make the recorder as a whole thinner owing to the vertical dimension of the pen holder.
In addition, as a mechanism for selecting one of a plurality of pens, such a mechanism is known that a rotary pen holder is mounted on a carriage and one of the pens is selected through the rotation of the pen holder. This conventional mechanism is, however, troublesome to operate for setting the initial position of the pens when the power source is turned ON, since it is necessary to first set the initial position of the carriage by moving the carriage to its dead point and moreover initially set the rotational position of the pen holder for determining the color of the pen with which drawing is started.